Is AI Our Promethean Fire?
And who are we in the retelling?
The legend of Prometheus is a harrowing one to read. The tale tells of a powerful Titan, Prometheus, who gazed down upon early humanity and felt pity for them. Early humans were ignorant, naked, and cold. Prometheus took it upon himself to sneak into the great forge of Hephestus and steal a piece of the gods’ fire. He sheltered the fire in a smoldering branch, brought it down to the cold humans, and showed them how to use it. The gods were displeased with Prometheus’s actions. They did not believe that humans could handle fire. Furthermore, they didn’t deserve it.
Many people use the image of Prometheus as a triumph for humanity. But if you look at it from the other side of the coin, the gods in the story might have been right. Humans used fire to warm themselves, cook their food, and forge plowshares, but they also used it to forge weapons of war and shackles to enslave one another. Perhaps humanity would have been better off without fire.
Prometheus was sentenced to eternal punishment for his treachery. Zeus seized the wayward Titan and chained him to the side of a mountain. He then called forth a giant eagle that would come every morning and peck out Prometheus’s liver. Every night, the liver would regrow. Since Prometheus was immortal, this punishment was a constant cycle of pain and…
